dealing with seasickness - bigger ships

[mandwcruise]

just got back from some rough seas (in May) around Northern Europe. The waves were maybe 2-3 meters? The stretch from Norway to Iceland made some ppl vomit.

 

ship size - we had a hard time in winter around Canary Islands on NCL Spirit (85,000 tonnage?), NCL Pearl (92,000) and NCL Star (90,000). At what point of size is the ship so big that rough seas doesn't really?

 

stabilizers - these have been around for 100 years. How new does the stabilizer tech need to be to have a significant amount of protection? Is there a big jump between ships built in 2010 vs 2022? Trying to figure out where diminishing returns kicks in

 

OTHER - it's not clear to me whether ship size, ship newness, choice of route are the biggest factors. If you guys tell me that even the big and new ships make people with 3 meter waves, then I need to figure something else out e.g. only sailing in calm waters.

[CruiserBruce]

Seas move, which moves the ships upon them. Yes, stabilizers help. But it's a false hope that many people have, to expect stabilizers to take all the movement away from rough seas. For any size or age of ship.

 

People swear certain ships, based on design,, not age or size, handle the seas better. If a professional sailor says that, I tend to listen. But a person that goes on one or two cruises a year, on different ships, in different locations, in varying seas, has extremely limited qualifications to judge ships handling the seas, IMHO.

[MBP&O2/O]

.... and 2 to 3 metres isn't really that big ... and yes the hull design has an awful lot to do with it.

 

[Pyrate13]

Heck, even a ship as large as an aircraft carrier can move about in rough seas.

[cruisemom42]

The relative size of even the largest cruise ship relative to the smallest is not significant when you look at the size of the ocean on which they are both floating.  

 

Years ago, when passenger ships were built primarily for crossing oceans, they were constructed to cut through waves and supposedly offered a smoother ride. These are referred to as ocean liners. However I think there is now only one real ocean liner still operating: Cunard's Queen Mary 2.

 

Modern cruise ships aren't really built with that as their primary purpose -- instead they are built to primarily travel from port to port in limited areas that are not too far out to sea. Yes, they occasionally make crossings, but it's not their main activity.

 

Waves that are 2-3 meters are not uncommon, but it's not just the height of waves that can make you seasick. (I'll leave that to someone else to explain.)  

 

In short though, if you feel seasick on ships the size of those you mention, you're likely to feel seasick on larger ships as well and probably should consider one of the several options for preventing seasickness.

[Heidi13]

8 hours ago, mandwcruise said:

just got back from some rough seas (in May) around Northern Europe. The waves were maybe 2-3 meters? The stretch from Norway to Iceland made some ppl vomit.

 

ship size - we had a hard time in winter around Canary Islands on NCL Spirit (85,000 tonnage?), NCL Pearl (92,000) and NCL Star (90,000). At what point of size is the ship so big that rough seas doesn't really?

 

stabilizers - these have been around for 100 years. How new does the stabilizer tech need to be to have a significant amount of protection? Is there a big jump between ships built in 2010 vs 2022? Trying to figure out where diminishing returns kicks in

 

OTHER - it's not clear to me whether ship size, ship newness, choice of route are the biggest factors. If you guys tell me that even the big and new ships make people with 3 meter waves, then I need to figure something else out e.g. only sailing in calm waters.

 

Ship size - The size of the ship has very little to do with how she will handle rough seas. The design of the ship, the scantling and her GM are more important factors. Personally, I would sail on any of the smaller steam liners (Oriana, Canberra, QE2) before sailing on any modern large ship. Sadly, none of those great ships still operate.

 

Seas - To be honest, seas under 10' are not exactly rough weather.

 

Stabalisers - These only mitigate rolling, as they have zero effect on pitching. They are also impacted by the ship's speed. If modern ships can't handle the seas, they must reduce speed, which makes the stabalisers less effective. I also note that most ships now run much slower.

[broberts]

8 hours ago, mandwcruise said:

At what point of size is the ship so big that rough seas doesn't really?

 

Can't happen. As long as a ship floats the water underneath will be able to move it. You can do your own experiment in a bowl or bath tub.

 

9 hours ago, mandwcruise said:

then I need to figure something else out e.g. only sailing in calm waters.

 

If you are that sensitive, you might consider the various anti-nausea treatments available. They run the gamut of electronic & static wrist bands through natural edibles like ginger to chemicals that your doctor or pharmacist can suggest. There does not appear to be a single solution that works for everyone.

 

[MBP&O2/O]

35 minutes ago, Heidi13 said:

The design of the ship, the scantling and her GM are more important factors.

Loll 😁😁😁

[mom says]

9 hours ago, mandwcruise said:

- it's not clear to me whether ship size, ship newness, choice of route are the biggest factors. If you guys tell me that even the big and new ships make people with 3 meter waves, then I need to figure something else out e.g. only sailing in calm waters

As has been made clear by PPs, none of the factors you listed will obviate motion while on a ship. 3 meter waves are not large. If these cause you to be nauseated, then you need to investigate the various anti nausea preventative or remedies. If you only want to sail in calm waters, then you may need to limit yourself to river cruises.

[chengkp75]

11 hours ago, mandwcruise said:

just got back from some rough seas (in May) around Northern Europe. The waves were maybe 2-3 meters? The stretch from Norway to Iceland made some ppl vomit.

 

ship size - we had a hard time in winter around Canary Islands on NCL Spirit (85,000 tonnage?), NCL Pearl (92,000) and NCL Star (90,000). At what point of size is the ship so big that rough seas doesn't really?

 

stabilizers - these have been around for 100 years. How new does the stabilizer tech need to be to have a significant amount of protection? Is there a big jump between ships built in 2010 vs 2022? Trying to figure out where diminishing returns kicks in

 

OTHER - it's not clear to me whether ship size, ship newness, choice of route are the biggest factors. If you guys tell me that even the big and new ships make people with 3 meter waves, then I need to figure something else out e.g. only sailing in calm waters.

The biggest factor in how a ship handles seas is the sea conditions themselves.  The spacing (distance between waves) and timing (how often waves hit an object) of seas when compared with the ship's length, speed, and direction will determine which ship handles particular seas, but not all seas, better than another ship.  As Heidi13 notes, the GM of the ship (the amount of intact stability it has), is a better factor for seakeeping than ship size.  

 

Stabilizers do not stop rolling, never have, even the first ones in 1933.  Fin stabilizers are designed to dampen rolling, meaning that it will slow the roll (the time from one extreme of roll to the extreme at the other side) from say 2 minutes to 4 minutes, but it will not decrease rolling.

 

All ships will move in a seaway, some more than others, and this depends on the specific weather conditions at the time, but if you feel motion sickness in 3 meter seas, you need to investigate remedies, or stronger ones.

[rkacruiser]

12 hours ago, mandwcruise said:

The waves were maybe 2-3 meters? The stretch from Norway to Iceland made some ppl vomit.

 

I support the thoughts of others on your questions.  Not much can be done about pitching and the stabilizers certainly assist with rolling.

 

Others have suggested possible seasickness preventers.  I have used none of these.  I have my own experiences and opinions that I will contribute.

 

#1:  Keep a full stomach.  Why is it, other than it's lunch time when most guests embark, plentiful food is available up to Muster Drill and again soon after?

 

#2:  Too much alcohol + ocean in motion = possible mal de mer

 

#3:  It's psychological on the part of the guest.  I become very suspicious if this is not the cause when I have observed a few become nauseous while the ship is dropping lines or moving away from the pier.

 

#4:  For whatever reason, some people are prone to mal de mer for no obvious reason.  The anti-seasickness remedies may assist them.  Ginger is helpful for some.  

 

My traveling companion fits my 4th point.  In the stretch of water between Norway and Iceland, the ship did experience high winds and rough seas (no memory of wave heights, but they did exceed 3 meters at times).  Usually a good sailor, Nadine was "under the weather" for about a half-day.  I got Green Apples and saltines from the Front Desk for her; that helped.  Chicken Noodle Soup from Room Service was also helped.  She sucked on some solid Ginger at times and that may also have helped.  And, she used the "patch behind the ear" which caused her to nap a good bit of the time she was feeling unwell.  

[CruiserBruce]

I find this topic sort of related to those who ask when (in terms of sea calmness) is the best time to sail a given route. People seem to believe that in a given month, or 2 or 3 months,  the seas will be predictablely calm, no worries about sea sickness.  Stabilizers or not, you can't predict sea movement  or protection from sea sickness.  The oceans move when the conditions arise...nobody can predict or prevent that. It happens. 

[Heidi13]

18 hours ago, CruiserBruce said:

I find this topic sort of related to those who ask when (in terms of sea calmness) is the best time to sail a given route. People seem to believe that in a given month, or 2 or 3 months,  the seas will be predictablely calm, no worries about sea sickness.  Stabilizers or not, you can't predict sea movement  or protection from sea sickness.  The oceans move when the conditions arise...nobody can predict or prevent that. It happens. 

 

So true. Classic example is the major storm we got at the top end of Vancouver Island last month. Winter storms are normally long gone, just not this year.